Driving distractions are often visible and obvious. Say that you are sitting at a red light when the light turns green and the car ahead of you doesn’t move. In the side mirror, you can see that the driver is looking down at their phone. Other distractions include talking to passengers, eating food, drinking coffee, dealing with children, looking at a GPS or a map, and much more.
But don’t assume that a driver isn’t distracted just because it looks like they’re focusing on the road. According to some studies, one of the most common driving distractions is just daydreaming. The driver will still appear to be focused and attentive. They’ll probably have both hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road ahead of them. But if their mind is wandering, they are still seriously distracted and could cause an accident.
What happens to their reaction time?
One of the biggest issues when someone’s mind wanders is just that it takes a moment for them to refocus on the road. This means that their reaction times just aren’t as good as they would be otherwise.
For example, if a driver is watching the car ahead of them, they may see an animal run in the road and then they see the brake lights come on. As long as they were maintaining a safe distance, it should be no problem to hit their own breaks and avoid an accident.
But if their mind is wandering, they may not see the animal or the brake lights at all. They won’t realize traffic is slowing down until the car ahead of them starts approaching much too quickly. This jarring sensation pulls them out of the daydream, but it may already be too late for them to avoid the accident.
Seeking compensation
Have you been injured by another negligent driver who caused a car accident? If so, be sure you know about all the legal options you have to seek compensation.
